Ephesians 5–6

Walk in Love

5Therefore ^abe imitators of God as dear ^bchildren. ²And ^cwalk in love, ^das Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God ^efor a sweet-smelling aroma.

³But fornication and all ^funcleanness or ^gcovetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ^4hneither filthiness, nor ⁱfoolish talking, nor coarse jesting, ^jwhich are not fitting, but rather ^kgiving of thanks. ⁵For ¹this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any ^linheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷Therefore do not be ^mpartakers with them.

Walk in Light

⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are ⁿlight in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹(for ^othe fruit of the ²Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ^10pfinding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹And have ^qno fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather ³expose them. ^12rFor it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³But ^sall things that are ⁴exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. ¹⁴Therefore He says:

^t“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

Walk in Wisdom

^15uSee then that you walk ⁵circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ^16vredeeming the time, ^wbecause the days are evil.

^17xTherefore do not be unwise, but ^yunderstand ^zwhat the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸And ^ado not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹speaking to one another ^bin psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making ^cmelody in your heart to the Lord, ^20dgiving thanks always for all things to God the Father ^ein the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21fsubmitting to one another in the fear of ⁶God.

Marriage—Christ and the Church

²²Wives, ^gsubmit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³For ^hthe husband is head of the wife, as also ⁱChrist is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands ^jin everything.

^25kHusbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and ^lgave Himself for her, ²⁶that He might ⁷sanctify and cleanse her ^mwith the washing of water ⁿby the word, ^27othat He might present her to Himself a glorious church, ^pnot having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰For ^qwe are members of His body, ⁸of His flesh and of His bones. ^31r“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the ^stwo shall become one flesh.” ³²This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³Nevertheless ^tlet each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^urespects her husband.

Children and Parents

6Children, ^aobey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2b“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³“that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

⁴And ^cyou, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but ^dbring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5eBondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, ^fwith fear and trembling, ^gin sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ^6hnot with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ⁱknowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

⁹And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that ¹your own ^jMaster also is in heaven, and ^kthere is no partiality with Him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ^11lPut on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ²wiles of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^mprincipalities, against powers, against ⁿthe rulers of ³the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ^13oTherefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand ^pin the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, ^qhaving girded your waist with truth, ^rhaving put on the breastplate of righteousness, ^15sand having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶above all, taking ^tthe shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷And ^utake the helmet of salvation, and ^vthe sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ^18wpraying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ^xbeing watchful to this end with all perseverance and ^ysupplication for all the saints—¹⁹and for me, that utterance may be given to me, ^zthat I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which ^aI am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

A Gracious Greeting

²¹But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, ^bTychicus, a beloved brother and ^cfaithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; ^22dwhom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may ^ecomfort your hearts.

²³Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.